Let Us Build a New World (Reverend Sun Myung Moon)
The Significance Of Blessing '98 (Rev. J. H. Pak)
A Son’s Tribute to His Father
Berlin ICRF Conference
Blessing ’98
Blessing Ceremony in Uruguay
Blessing in Bratislava, Slovakia
Blessing in Chicago
Blessing in Korea
Blessing Revelations from Heavenly Father
City of Carson Includes Bridge Ceremony in 5th Annual Youth Conference
Court Hands Down its Decision in the Case Against the Unification Church
Editor’s Note: Articles About Spirit World
Infringement of Religious Freedom in Singapore
Meditation
My Ten Days at Chung Pyung Lake
New Tiempos Del Mundo Website
Reward And Punishment In The Family??!!
Second Generation in Alaska
The Kingdom of God in Reality
The Missionary
The Origin of Human Conflict and Suffering
United We Stand
Universal Ballet Tours the United States
by Anne Inoue-Seoul & Sunny Charla Asch-Los Angeles
It was 7:00 a.m. in Seoul. The sleepy dancers, most of whom stayed up all night packing, stumbled onto the waiting busses for the drive in the morning traffic to the airport. Here they would board their plane for the long flight (via Japan) to the United States. Fifteen hours later, after crossing the international date line, it was still morning when the Universal Ballet arrived at Los Angeles' International Airport on March 11, 1997. During the long flight the dancers slept, read, chatted and, of course, wondered about their first tour of the United States and Canada.
When the passports had been checked and the luggage cleared through customs, the dancers climbed onto two waiting busses for the first stop on their tour - a day of fun at Universal Studios where they could relax, enjoy the famed rides and attractions of this internationally acclaimed amusement park and get their first taste of fun, American style.
Was this an unusual way to start an arduous 12 city tour that was to include performances in Los Angeles and Riverside (California), Spokane (Washington), Victoria (British Columbia, Canada), St.George (Utah), Lake Charles and Shreveport (Louisiana), Raleigh (North Carolina), Fairfax and Norfolk (Virginia), Las Vegas and New York City? At first glance maybe, but this diversion was an essential part of the time adjustment for the dancers. They needed to stay awake until the normal Los Angeles nighttime so they could quickly adjust and avoid the damaging effects of jet lag.
After Universal Studios, the company checked into the hotel which would be their first American "home" and had dinner. Everyone seemed happy to have an early bedtime.
The same afternoon work began in the theater as the ballet's technical staff, led on this tour by Aaron Carmichael and Soo-Chun Yum, joined with the staff at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex to unload the first of two 45 foot semi-trucks that would be used to transport scenery, set pieces, wardrobe trunks, ballet barres and boxes and cases of equipment that would be needed for the productions of "Swan Lake" and "Shim Chug". Each production (sets, scenery, props, costumes), traveled in its own truck which would not be unloaded until it was time for that ballet to be performed.
The sets, backdrops, and costumes for "Swan Lake" and "Shim Chung" had begun their part of the tour in February when they traveled in containers from Seoul to the port of Pusan, Korea, where they were loaded onto ships for the long ocean voyage to Long Beach, California.
By the late afternoon of the second day, the stage was ready. Lighting was adjusted, backdrops were hung, props and set pieces were properly stored off-stage so they could be quickly moved into place as the performance progressed. In the wardrobe rooms, costumes were hung, steamed and put on racks for the dancers. Dressing rooms were assigned.
Production Coordinator, Anne Inoue, and General Manager, San-Yong Nam, set up the first of many "offices" that they would arrange on this tour. Sometimes they used a room in the theater, often it was a corner of hotel room, sometimes it was their places on the bus or airplane. With portable telephones and laptop computers they managed the day-to-day needs of the company and sponsors, including casting changes, media interviews, travel schedule changes, VIP tickets, sales of the company's souvenir program books and video tapes and the thousand and one details of taking a major ballet company on tour. When the company is on tour, their offices never close.
Now it was time for the dancers. They had the morning free to rest, get used to their new surroundings in the hotel, shop for whatever last minute "essential" they might have forgotten to bring from home and spend some time doing their own stretching exercises in their hotel rooms. They could also check the ballet's notice board in the hotel for last minute schedule changes.
The dancers assembled for their first class of the tour. Class is a structured workout that is designed to warm and prepare the body for the actual rehearsal and performance work of the ballet.
After class there was a stage rehearsal of "Swan Lake" which lasted until early evening. The dancers worked with the Ballet Master and Mistresses, Daniel Job, Galina Kekisheva and Mi-Na Kim, who taught class and conducted rehearsals throughout the tour. The ballet staff refreshed the dancers memories and kept watchful eyes on them to assure that steps, staging and spacing were absolutely correct at all times.
Class was a daily occurrence unless travel took up the entire day. Rehearsals were held virtually every day for some, if not all, of the dancers. Constant cast changes as principals and soloists alternated in the various roles within each ballet required frequent rehearsals to keep everyone in top performing condition. Occasional illness and injuries placed some dancers on the side-lines for various lengths of time and their places had to be covered by other dancers - more rehearsals. Occasionally the stage itself presented problems. In Victoria, BC, the stage was quite small for the size of the Universal Ballet. In this situation there was simply not enough space for all of the swans in their big tutus to fit on stage at the same time. Cuts had to be made to reduce the number of swans at this particular performance and so an extra rehearsal was necessary. At the next performance the normal complement of swans could be used, but another rehearsal was needed to help the dancers re-adjust to the original spacing that was set when the company rehearsed in Korea.
The first performance in Los Angeles was a performance for students which, in fact, doubled as a full stage dress rehearsal for the company. Students from throughout Los Angeles arrived by bus for an 11:00 a.m. performance of Act I of "Swan Lake". As the students took their seats in the audience, the dancers had a last practice of a particular step or pose and the technical staff made last minute checks of the lighting.
When the student audience was seated, the house lights dimmed and the moment had come when the magic of ballet would bring together the work of dancers, designers, technicians all to the music of the great Tchaikovsky.
One hour later the curtain came down as the students, many of whom had never seen classical ballet before, applauded and cheered. It was a wonderful moment for them and for the company.
As the students left the theater, a few brave ones could be seen making attempts at some of the steps they had just seen on stage. The spark had been lit! Someday maybe one of these students would become a dancer; maybe many would enjoy attending ballet performances throughout their lives.
Meanwhile, Bruce Steivel, Artistic Director of the company hurried backstage to give the dancers a few last-minute "notes" (corrections) so that the evening's full performance would be perfect.
Opening night is always special. There was great excitement in the air. Dignitaries from the Korean Consulate as well as the Korean and American business and social communities arrived. Officials and members from the Unification Church, who had worked so hard to ensure the success of this engagement, joined with ballet aficionados who, having learned about the company from feature stories in the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and other local newspapers, wanted to be present at the North American premiere of the newest member of the international dance community. It was an auspicious moment.
The Universal Ballet's first "Swan Lake" in the United States proved to be a great success. The audience showed its appreciation and acceptance by giving prima ballerina Julia Moon, her partner, Dragos Mihalcea and the entire company a standing ovation. The audience cheered and applauded. Huge bouquets of colorful flowers were brought on stage to Ms. Moon who led Artistic Director, Bruce Steivel, onto the stage to join the company's curtain calls. What an exciting moment! The months and months of planning, work, and worry had been well worth the efforts of everyone involved.
When the applause finally ended and the audience left the theater, the stage crew began to work. The production of "Swan Lake" (sets, backdrops, props, costumes) had to be loaded into its truck so it could begin the long drive to Spokane, Washington. The head electrician would fly ahead to the Spokane to begin work with the theater staff there in anticipation of the arrival of the truck and the rest of the company.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles the work went forward as "Shim Chung" (The Blindman's Daughter), the signature piece for the Universal Ballet, was readied for its opening the next evening. While the stage crew worked on stage and the wardrobe staff in their rooms backstage, the dancers had class and rehearsals for various segments of "Shim Chung". Saturday evening's performance would be led by Sun-Hee Park as the devoted heroine, Shim Chung. This was followed by a Sunday matinee performance with Ms. Moon as Shim Chung.
"Shim Chung" is a folk tale that is certainly well-known to the Korean audience members but, as it turned out, American audiences also fell in love with the story and joined the Koreans in cheering at the very touching moment when the father, now reunited with Shim Chung, regains his sight.
The company was thrilled by the audience's acceptance of their work and felt they had surely begun the tour on a successful note. The Los Angeles Times praised the company as "...an amazing achievement" and the Oxford Review (NPR) said, "A rare evening of dance poetry, human emotion and brilliant color - simply sensational."
Pasadena House and Dr. Bo-Hi Pak hosted a lovely garden supper party for the company following this performance. After dinner, Dr. Pak addressed the company and reminded them of the importance of the tour and of the impressions they would be making on the American people. He told them that everyone had worked hard to bring about this tour and now it was up to them to dance their best and be successful for the company and for the arts in Korea.
As the dancers returned to their hotel to pack for the next day's travel to Spokane, the stage crew worked late into the night to pack the "Shim Chung" production into its truck which would be driven to its next destination.
The following morning it was time to travel. The company checked out of their hotel and boarded the bus to the airport for the trip to Spokane. Despite the distance, when the company arrived there was class and, of course, rehearsal.
In Spokane the presentation was "Swan Lake" and, as in Los Angeles, young dancers from local ballet schools were recruited to act as "supers" (supernumeraries), taking part in the lavish scenes of the Prince Siegfried's court. In each "Swan Lake" city local dancers would be chosen to act as supers and they too had to have rehearsal. What a thrill it was for these aspiring ballerinas to be a part of the professional world of ballet.
In Spokane, the Swan Queen, "Odette", and her evil counterpart "Odile" were portrayed by Sun-Hee Park. Her partner, Jae-Hong Park offered strength as a partner not only in dance but in dramatic interpretation. The Spokesman-Review declared the Universal Ballet's "Swan Lake", "... was a performance event of a lifetime, one by which all other performances will be measured."
Next stop on the tour was the beautiful Canadian city of Victoria. Again the ballet was "Swan Lake" but this time the Odette/Odile was Enrica Guana from Italy. She has been a member of the Universal Ballet since 1990. Her partner, Jae-Won Hwang, won gold and silver medals in Korea's most prestigious dance competitions prior to joining the company.
March 20 was another travel day. Instead of going to Riverside, California as originally scheduled, the company returned to Los Angeles for an encore performance BY POPULAR DEMAND of "Swan Lake". How exciting this was! The dual role of Odette/Odile was danced by the willowy Yena Kang who was partnered by Jun-Kyu Lee, one of the foremost male dancers in Korea.
The next tour stop was St. George, Utah for another "Swan Lake" followed by a day of class and rehearsal in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Nevada Dance Theater, also directed by
Mr. Steivel, graciously made its studios available to the company.
March 26th was a big travel day for the company. Leaving Las Vegas at 2:00 a.m. the company flew to Memphis. At 8:45 a.m. another plane took them to Houston, Texas, where they boarded busses for the 3 hour trip to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Now the company could get its first look at the southern part of the United State and compare it with the Pacific Northwest (Spokane/Victoria) and contrast that with the enormity of Los Angeles. One dancer said they were all surprised to see that the cities, streets and houses they saw as they traveled looked exactly like those shown in the movies. By now the company realized that America was very big. That impression remained and by the end of the tour the dancers said they felt they had visited 12 countries and not just 12 cities. They realized how very small Korea was by comparison.
Americans got high marks from the Korean dancers who noticed Americans were very polite in their driving habits and followed the laws. They were also impressed by the police. They reported that they felt safe in America. They witnessed an accident and a robbery and saw how quickly and efficiently the police responded to these emergencies. They also said Americans were kind and friendly. Other hotel guests would greet them; people on the street smiled. One dancer needed a doctor. He later came to see her perform and offered his services, without charge, to the company.
In Lake Charles and Shreveport, Louisiana, the company again offered "Swan Lake". These performances were sponsored by the local Ballet Societies whose members made their ballet studios available to the company. They brought dancer-friendly food to the theaters. They drove various members of the company's management staff to a variety of errands. They did everything possible to really make the company feel welcome. It was that famous southern hospitality - dancer style - and it was great!
After the Shreveport performance there was another day of class and rehearsal. Then two very long (l0 hour) days of bus travel to reach Raleigh, North Carolina with an overnight stop in Birmingham, Alabama.
These long bus trips gave the dancers a bit of a chance to rest although the sitting for long periods of time is hard on their bodies. They could admire the beautiful scenery of the southeast, sleep, read, sew ribbons on toe shoes and of course knit. Knitting was a favorite tour occupation of some of the dancers. Leg warmers and dance sweaters seemed to be among the favorite creations.
The dancers also had opportunities in hotels, restaurants and stores to practice speaking English. As with most people who are new to a language, the Koreans felt that everyone spoke so fast.
Food provided a bit of a challenge to the dancers who found American food very different from Korean. They were constantly on the hunt for Korean restaurants but in the meantime learned about pizza, McDonald's and, in New York City, the many deli-style markets with endless varieties of hot and cold prepared foods that could be purchased for picnic-style meals in the theater or hotel.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, the company performed with the North Carolina Symphony. The Symphony, who had presented ballet companies in other seasons, reported that they usually presented a company for only one night, but they chose to offer the Universal Ballet for two nights of "Swan Lake" and nearly sold out both performances. Ms. Moon and Mr. Mihalcea and Ms. Guana and
Mr. Hwang danced the principal roles in these performances.
It was exciting for the company to perform with a United States orchestra. It must have been equally challenging for the orchestra to work with a Korean ballet company and its Korean conductor, Seung-Han Choi, but then music and ballet are truly international languages that transcend borders and cultures.
The Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia was the next stop on the tour. This venue was chosen because of its proximity to the Washington, D.C. area. Here the Unification Church joined as co-sponsors and assisted with marketing and ticket sales and served as hosts to the company. For the first time on the tour the company was joined by its own orchestra, the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Choi. Ms. Moon danced the heroine in "Shim Chung" while
Ms. Park and Ms. Kang danced the Odette/Odile role in performances of "Swan Lake".
Again, the press was responsive. The Washington Post declared, "Universal Ballet: An Enviable Resource" and stated, "...this company has been for its home town -Seoul- a resource that many an American or European city might envy."
While in the Washington, D.C. area company members visited the Smithsonian Museum, and the National Gallery. They also visited the Capitol and had their photos taken in front of the White House. They rehearsed at the renowned Kirov Academy and went to the famed Mall. The later provided the only disappointment as the dancers thought they were going to a wonderful place to shop but, alas, it was another important historic site. Oh well, there was always New York for shopping.
As the days passed, the excitement of performing in New York grew. Finally the big day arrived and on Sunday, April 12th, the company traveled to New York City.
As usual, classes and rehearsals occupied the dancers while the stage technicians were preparing the stage for opening night.
"Shim Chung" opened the New York engagement with performances on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, April 14-16th. The leading roles were danced by Ms. Moon and Ms. Park. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the company offered performances of "Swan Lake". All four ballerinas (Misses Moon, Park, Guana and Kang) and their respective partners shared the performances of "Swan Lake".
Reverend Moon and his family attended performances of "Swan Lake" and "Shim Chung". Members of the Unification Church came from as far away as Boston. Leaders from the diplomatic community as well as Korean and American business and professional leaders came to the performances of the Universal Ballet at New York's historic City Center .
New York is a city that is synonymous with energy. Even the air seems to be infused with it and it is contagious in the best sense. Everything moves faster. People seem to catch the unique spirit that is New York - the Big Apple! New York is an easy city. Everything is so compact. This gives the illusion of extra time as one can always cram in a moment to do an extra something. The dancers welcomed this. They seemed to have extra moments to sleep because the theater was an easy distance from the hotel; extra moments to shop on the way to class or rehearsal. The dancers also welcomed the Korean food that was generously provided to them by the Korean wives of the New York Church.
While the company worked hard to show their very best to the New York audiences, plans were being made for a European tour and for the next tour of the United States. Meanwhile, everyone waited breathlessly for the reviews from the New York critics. In the hierarchy of the world community of reviewers, they stand at the top. Whatever they say about an artist is read with eager interest by the artistic community as well as by the public.
New York Times said of Julia Moon, "In the title role of 'Shim Chung', she has a genuine star presence, using her natural lyricism and perfect arabesque to evoke the delicate purity of the heroine." Newsday declared, "... its dancers showed they can hold their own on the international stage... the Universal Ballet is making its first American tour in impressive style."
Of "Swan Lake", Clive Barnes, writing for the New York Post said, "...the young company was able to leave an unequivocally excellent impression..." and Anna Kisselgoff writing for the New York Times praised the company for its "... astounding precision and attention to detail". The Times continued, "The discipline of the corps, especially in the 'white' or lakeside scenes of 'Swan Lake" can put even internationally ranked companies to shame."
When the curtain came down on the final performance in New York the dancers were tired but happy. For the Universal Ballet, New York and, in fact, the entire tour signaled the fulfillment of a dream that was envisioned years earlier when the company was founded. What a wonderful feeling to know that the dream became reality and that the goal had been successfully achieved.
The next thrill for the company was an invitation to dinner at the home of True Parents. After the Sunday matinee, three busses transported the dancers, staff and orchestra to East Garden. As we entered the grounds a gentle mist was in the air. It was dusk and all was serene. We were greeted by East Garden staff who passed out slippers for everyone and we entered the banquet hall. After finding our places the dinner began with a few words of welcome followed by the saying of grace. After dinner, various members of the company were invited to sing for the assembled throng. Ms. Moon, and Eun Hee Smith sang as did the Artistic Director Elect, Oleg Vinogradov. Mr. Steivel joined in a moment of folk-type dance with Dr. Pak. True Mother and True Father each took a turn at the microphone to the delight the audience with their renditions of Korean songs. Members of the East Garden staff, dressed in traditional Korean costume, performed musical numbers on traditional instruments. Young-Keun Kim, Concertmaster of the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, played three violin selections including Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee".
After the entertainment concluded, True Father, addressed the audience and reminded the company that there is always a "war" going on between the mind and the body. To be a true artist, one had to find a way to achieve harmony between these two aspects.
At the conclusion of his remarks, farewell gifts were given to each company member and the company boarded the busses for the return trip to New York City. Everyone agreed that it was a very special conclusion to a wonderful New York engagement.
The following day, Monday, April 20th was an unusual day for everyone on the tour. There were no classes, no rehearsals, no performances. It was a day to relax, sleep late, shop, see the sights and enjoy New York as a tourist. The dancers scattered in every direction for fun and adventure. New York really did look like it does in the movies!!!
However fun on tour doesn't last too long and the following morning, after a breakfast hosted by Dr. Pak, the dancers were back on the bus for another long ride. This time the destination was Norfolk, Virginia. Meanwhile, the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra headed to the airport for their return flight to Korea. They too could be immensely proud of the outstanding contribution they had made to the tour's success.
In Norfolk, the company was honored to be part of the Virginia Waterfront International Arts Festival where it performed "Swan Lake" with the Virginia Symphony under the direction of Wes Kenney. The Festival is in its second year and featured outstanding artists and attractions offering performances of music, theater and dance. In addition to performances by the Universal Ballet, the Festival presented violinists Itzhak Perlman and Cho-Liang Lin, pianist Andre-Michel Schub, the Orion String Quartet, the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, popular stars Gladys Knight and Betty Buckley, a special lecture by Harry Belafonte, and performances of "H.M.S. Pinafore" and "A Chorus Line".
Festival audiences loved the ballet giving them standing ovations. The Festival organizers were happy that tickets for both performances sold well and felt the Universal Ballet had been a good choice for inclusion in the Virginia Waterfront International Arts Festival.
The company had one more stop on the tour, Las Vegas, but circumstances forced the cancellation of this engagement so the company had its second free day in fifty days of touring. What better place to be than Las Vegas, one of the entertainment capitals of the world with its theme hotels, gambling casinos, shops, restaurants and a non-stop devotion to fun! Everyone had a great time - and some got lucky with the slot machines and poker tables.
Finally, the last day in the United States, April 29, had arrived. The company had a short flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and after gathering up the luggage and changing terminals there was one final opportunity to enjoy American fast food. It was time to board the Northwest Airlines plane for the flight back to Korea.
What a glorious tour it had been. The company learned about the United States and the American people whom all agreed were friendly and open. The dancers enjoyed responsive audiences who understood and appreciated the art of ballet. They were thrilled to receive many standing ovations. Best of all the Universal Ballet went from a company that was unknown in the United States to one that was known, appreciated and respected. No longer was the Universal Ballet solely a Korean company. It was an international one. This was the tour where the Universal Ballet grew up. It is hoped that the success in the United States will be regarded as success not only for the Universal Ballet but for the arts in Korea and, of course, the Universal Ballet looks forward to many tours of the United States in the coming years.
True Parents Inaugurate Bridge at the New Hope Farm
by Christian Lepelletier and John Breyer-New Hope Farm, Jardim, Brazil
When we arrived at the New Hope Farm in Jardim on May 9 after a 14-hours trip from Sao Paulo by van, a lot of activity was going on at the new bridge connecting the project to the main road, over the Miranda river. Trucks were moving back and forth to level the dirt road to the bridge until late at night. In the morning members were finishing the preparation for the ceremony and hung the banner just in time before True Parents and their group arrived at 9:00 am.
Together with True Parents and Hyo Jin Nim came a small group including Rev. Kamiyama, Mr. Joo from the Washington Times, and Peter Kim by private airplane to Campo Grande airport. There they changed to two small airplanes to fly to Jardim airport. One delegation of leaders went to their welcome at the airport, including Pres. Kim (NHF leader), Rev. Oyamada, Rev. H.T. Kim, Rev Koo Bae Pak (coming from Uruguay).
A group of local people were waiting at the entrance near the bridge; about 30 leaders and officials were present for the ceremony. True Parents arrived and walked directly to the ribbon to form a line with the main leaders and guests. Father prayed briefly and cut the ribbon, then he walked over and spread some holy salt and inspected the construction.
True Parents delegation then went by car to the main house and continued the ceremony by cutting the victory cake. True Parents and the main leaders sat at the table to share breakfast in front of the farm house, in the nature with the parrots, the song of other birds, and the emus (like ostrich) passing by. They heard some reports from Mr. Ku Bae Pak, President Kim of New Hope Farm, and Rev. Oyamada.
Then, Father stood up and decided to take a walk to inspect the buildings together with the leaders and Hyo Ji Nim. He went from to place to place to comment and give advise to Pres. Kim. In the main restaurant on 2nd floor Father sat down and ask Mr. Kamiyama and Mr. Kajimori to evaluate the buildings, then Father listened and spoke for a short time. After that he continued the walk back to the main house were lunch was served. At 3 pm, True Parents and the accompanying group departed to Porto Murtinho on the Paraguay river to go fishing.
True Parents Arrive in Uruguay
by Dirk Anthonis-Montivideo, Urugay
On Saturday May 16, at 2:45 PM, True Parents, accompanied by Hyo Jin Nim, a few Korean leaders and Mr. Kamiyama, landed in Montevideo, Uruguay, following their visit to Brazil. Under police escort, they were driven to downtown Montevideo, where a group of about 150 members were awaiting them. There was a small welcoming party, a cake was cut and Father commented he was happy to be back in Uruguay. To the Japanese missionary sisters he commented: "You have been here for quite a while now; you are beginning to look like Latin American people. Your husbands will be surprised the next time they see you."
After pledge on Sunday morning, Father asked Rev. Yeong Og Yu (Korean national messiah) to read the entire book now published in Korean based on Dr. Sang Hun Lee's testimony and teachings from spirit world. Before the reading began, Father made some brief comments that were translated in Spanish by Alejandro De Souza. What follows is the gist of Father's comments as best as I could interpret them:
"We are living in the era of the accomplishment of the 360 million couple Blessing and the elimination of the false blood lineage of Satan. We are now entering in a 3-year period of transition in the spiritual world and physical world. All of the barriers must be eliminated.
"The reality of the spiritual world must be clarified. For that reason Dr. Sang Hun Lee gave us a very important message. While on earth, Dr. Lee had many questions about the spiritual world. When he went there, he asked God if he could visit some of the Providential figures in history and God said 'yes'. The book that was published based on Dr. Lee's testimony should be translated in Spanish quickly. All of the materialistic ideologies that deny God have been clearly proven wrong through these revelations from spirit world. It is necessary that the content of these revelations be known to the world. Other religions do not possess this knowledge. Dr. Lee is the first to reveal it. Those who deny this knowledge about the spiritual world will suffer. With a solid faith we must welcome Dr. Lee's testimony and teaching and bring this to the religious world.
"This year we have established the tradition of Hoon Dok Hae in Korea, Japan and America. In this way, important conditions were laid. We now have a foundation of 3.6 billion blessed couples in spirit world. As a result of the conditions established, America was blessed as the elder son nation. Father is now connecting this victory to Uruguay [Father later explained, according to Alejandro, that Uruguay is in the position of the second son or younger son nation]. Father is building a highway to the Kingdom of Heaven. The gap between the physical and spiritual worlds is being bridged. The victory of the 3.6 billion Blessing in spirit world indicates that the progress there is more rapid than in the physical world. We must connect this victory to the physical world. That is why True Parents came to Pantanal [an Amazon region of Brazil], which is a zone that is still well-preserved in its original state and not so much polluted.
"We can begin a new life based on the knowledge of the spiritual world as revealed by Dr. Lee. We must not have doubts about what Dr. Lee revealed. Our blessed members are in the highest realm of the spiritual world. We must put our life here on earth in order so that our life in the spiritual world will not be adversely affected.
"This 3-year period of transition is so important and serious because never in the past did we have this kind of knowledge about the spiritual world. We must unite mind and body and show our absolute faith, absolute love and absolute obedience to God through the unity with our spouse. It is very difficult for God to forgive us if we do not believe in the reality of the spiritual world as revealed by Dr. Lee.
"True Parents are very hopeful. The world is very close to accepting the basic teachings of Unificationism."
True Mother Embraces Toronto
By Mitch Dixon-Toronto, Canada
True Mother embraced an overflow crowd at the Korean Canadian Cultural Center in Toronto, Thursday night, April 16, as a conclusion to her 16-city, Spring '98 speaking tour across North America. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification sponsored the event. The auditorium was packed within 15 minutes of the program's beginning with more and more chairs being added, ultimately ending in "standing room only." Written responses afterward indicated that True Mother's speech was the most captivating point of the evening.
A crowd of over 500 people gathered from all walks of life, religions, and cultures in Toronto. This is reflective of the nature of Toronto itself. Included in this number were approximately fifty Unificationists. The program began with selections from Diane da Camara, a local opera singer, and continued with welcoming remarks from Rev. Michael Jenkins, Master of Ceremonies for the 16-city tour. Rev. Jenkins remarks included acknowledgment of a "Family Federation Day" Proclamation issued in honor of Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon from the Mayor Peter Robertson of Brampton, a neighboring city of 300,000 population. Other acknowledgments included welcome letters to Dr. Moon from Mike Harris, Premier (governor) of Ontario, Mel Lastman, Mayor of Toronto, and numerous other welcome letters from provincial and city government leaders. Of special note is a plaque awarded to Dr. Moon from the Min. Don Muhammad of the Nation of Islam towards her work strengthening families worldwide.
The program continued with the national anthem, "O' Canada" and a warm ecumenical prayer by Father Terry Gallagher, of the Scarborough Mission. Mr. Neil Salonen, Secretary General of the Family Federation International introduced the program followed by a speech "True Parents" read by Mrs. Karen Smith, Secretary General of the Women's Federation for World Peace in the USA, and a short video, "Toward World Peace." The highlight of the night's program was the speech "Blessed Marriage and Eternal Life" delivered by Dr. Moon. Flowers and plaques were presented to Dr. Moon in appreciation of her deep heart and concern for families. The audience was very attentive with everyone staying through the whole program.
Following her speech, Dr. Moon presented three books of a 15 volume abridged collection of 40 years of Rev. Moon's teachings to eight local dignitaries. These distinguished recipients were: 1. Mr. Hussein Ackbarally, Principal of the IQRA Islamic School; 2. Rev. Dr. Petro Bilaniuk, Right Rev. Mitrophoric Archpriest and Professor, University of Toronto; 3. Dr. Bob Carter, Professor of Philosophy, Trent University; 4. Dr. Jack Edwards, Pro-Family Lobby Coordinator, Canadian Family Action Committee; 5. Father Terry Gallagher, Scarborough Catholic Mission; 6. Mr. Amouzou Komi Nicolas, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Togo; 7. Capt. Kenneth Ritson, The Salvation Army; 8. Mr. Jun Kyung Suh, President, Korean Canadian Association.
The program concluded with remarks from Rev. Jenkins, "Fill the World with Love" performed by Diane da Camara, and door prizes and refreshments coordinated by Rev. Mitch Dixon, Canadian director of Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.
Mobilization and outreach efforts for the success of the program included visitations by Japanese missionaries and local members; a 2800 piece mailing to couples who participated in last year's events; and ministerial and VIP outreach by Rev. Stoyan Tadin, and Rev. Abdoulaye Wone. We deeply appreciate them both.
Additional thanks go to Mr. and Mrs. E. Habara for their important work mobilizing members and guests, Japanese missionaries for their outreach, Mrs. Ae In Lee, Rev. and Mrs. In Teck Seo, Mrs. Nishikawa, Lily Tadin, Christina Tadin, Anita Wells and their crew members for VIP hospitality, Sang Hun Lee and the set-up and stage crew, Douglas White and Michel Lejeunesse for the video and audio portions, Fumiko White and Diane Dixon for financial management, Sybil Wone for decorations and flowers, Dan Garand for banners, Michal Trusilo, Roddy Porelance, Mr. Nishikawa, Adam Smalcuga, and Dimitrie Tadin for VIP driving and care, security brothers, and Franco Famularo, Robert Duffy, Roddy Portelance, Aila Willitts, and Robert Tailleur for their efforts in mobilizing guests from long distances.
A special thanks to the Morauf family who traveled the furthest and to all whom donated their money, time, and efforts to make this event a success. In the absence of Dr. Chae Hee Lee, who is away in Japan, Rev. Mitch Dixon coordinated the overall effort.
Three Tales From Peru
by Fritz Piepenburg-Lima, Peru
Peru is a spiritual country. It is the land where the very popular book "The Prophesies of Celestine " unfolds its intriguing story. - Every 12 years, mystics and new age followers from around the world gather near Cusco, in the holy valley of the Incas for conducting the Kumbha Mela, a rite of purification and union with the basic elements of this world: earth, fire, water and air. Many spiritually open people believe that places like Cusco, Machu Pichu and Nasca are focal points for the earth's electro-magnetic spheres and therefore harbor special healing powers.
We too, members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification have frequent encounters with people and groups with a high degree of spiritual perceptiveness. Spirituality must not be confused with religiosity, much less with religious bigotry. While religiosity, or leading a religious life, may be very much confined to the doctrines and teachings of that particular religion, genuine spirituality transcends religious barriers.
Fortunately the message of the Family Federation is not about a particular religious teaching, but deals with family values. Its main objective is the establishment of sound and public-minded families, regardless of race, culture or religion. Thus we always explain that the blessing ceremony is not for the sake of any particular religion, but for the sake of the family. By participating in the world wide campaign "Brindis de Honor a la Unidad Familiar" (a toast in honor of family unity), couples and families show solidarity with millions of like-minded families around the world and promise to establish exemplary families, thus actively contributing towards the betterment of society.
Tale one: Blessing in the Amazon Rain Forest
Two of our brothers went pioneering in the tropical rain forest of Peru, moving along the Amazon river and visiting communities by boat. They determined to return back to Lima only after fulfilling a goal of 10.000 families blessed. After working hard for several days, without obtaining extraordinary results, they finally arrived at a town called Requena. As the church bell was ringing in the late afternoon, they also joined the people attending the Catholic mass. One brother was struck by the similarity of the Catholic father with the Hindu religious leader, who attended the Nov. 29 blessing event in Washington. This Catholic father had the same white beard and even the tone of his voice was similar. He felt this was a hint from spirit world to work with this father.
The next day a series of events unfolded which felt like a dream to these brothers. First they met a local journalist who listened carefully to what they had to say about the family and felt deeply inspired. The journalist introduced them to the mayor of the town, who was equally inspired about their message and sincerity. When the brothers explained about the blessing campaign by way of the brindis, the mayor said the only man capable to assemble a large number of people in a short time was the Catholic father. Thus all of them went to the Catholic father who told them that he had never before heard of the Family Federation, but supported fully its objective of establishing healthy and Godly families. Thus, during the following two days, the father gathered more than 6000 families, who all listened to the speech of our brothers and received the blessing.
The brothers were also invited to speak on local radio and give their full message to all the people of the town. Because of the smooth cooperation among the press, the political and the religious authorities, our brothers could reach out to the entire city population and give them the blessing within a couple of days.
Tale two: Why the Good Friday was a Really Good Friday
One of our Japanese sisters became friends with a highly spiritual group of artists, who every year on Good Friday plays the "Via Crucis", the Way of the Cross. A couple of days earlier they played the baptism of Jesus, in a real scene at the Rimac river. On Good Friday, these artists, fully dressed in long robes, were each playing a distinct personality according to the Biblical story. In front of the church they staged the trial of Jesus, all very realistic, very touching and with a profound sense of spirituality. They then embarked upon a 15 km walk, with Jesus carrying the cross, until finally climbing up to the top of Mount San Cristobal, which takes about one hour. There on the top, watched by thousands of spectators, Jesus was tied to the cross and left hanging there until he spoke his final words.
What did we have to do with these artists? When they came to the seat of our Federation, we discovered that we had a lot in common, both of us being the instruments of God and doing His work. Thus we determined to cooperate. Along the 5 km road and especially on the mountain we were to prepare some refreshments for the artists and those accompanying them. And how thirsty they were! We positioned ourselves halfway up the mountain, where we blessed many families who were moving in an seemingly endless stream up the mountain. When Jesus and all the other players arrived, they stopped the whole train and we could serve some lukewarm and thin orange juice, which was gratefully accepted by the sweating actors with their hot, red faces.
On that day, before the arrival of the artists and after, we could bless some 2700 families on this mountain. As one brother said while driving home late at night: "Jesus must be happy today. Maybe he is dancing in the spirit world!"
Tale three: The Blessing of 5000 Israelites
For years we have been dreaming of giving the blessing to a religious group of people, called Los Israelitas, the Israelites. This religious denomination, founded by the Peruvian Ezequiel Ataucusi Gamonal some 40 years ago, has attracted some 3 million followers all over Peru, even spreading to neighboring countries. They advocate a highly spiritual mixture of the Old and New Testament. From the Old Testament they borrowed the long hair and beard, and the beautiful long dresses they wear. Women also wear long dresses and cover their hair with a long shawl. From the New Testament they obtained their strong faith in Jesus, the Bible (which actually is the Catholic Bible) and, what is most important, a clear understanding of a monogamous and permanent husband- wife relationship (which, if one reads the Bible carefully, seems to be rather the exception than the rule during the Old Testament age). On this last point, our two organizations could find a powerful common base for cooperating and supporting each other.
The Israelites invited us as their guests of honor during the last day of their Eastern celebrations. We were led up in full honors, flanked by clapping and cheering women in their long colorful dresses until reaching their sanctuary, which consists of a huge 7-armed candelabra and a large incense burner, which covered the entire crowd of faithful with the sweet scent of sandalwood. Men and women were strictly divided - men to the right and women to the left. Most of them were fasting that day, as one could easily tell from their strained faces, especially during the late afternoon hours.
Along with other dignitaries, we were invited to give our message in front of all the people assembled, and we used this opportunity to introduce the Family Federation and the Blessing campaign. We invited everybody to participate in the "brindis", renewing their marriage vows and strengthening their family ties. Then, when evening came and thousands lined up to receive their meal for breaking the fast, each one also received a cup of juice containing the Holy Wine. In that way, an estimated 5000 families of the Israelites attending the important final day of Easter received the blessing, including the founder and grand master Ezequiel himself.
The Sovereignty of God
UViews May 1998
The most popular New Testament passage is probably John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, the whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." There are several theological affirmations in this verse, and the one I want to address here is that God loved the world. It doesn't say "For God so loved my nation," or "For God so loved my race," or "For God so loved my family," or "For God so loved me."
It is a subtle perversion of true Christianity to preach a gospel that God so loved me, or God so loved my race, or God so loved my nation, if by saying this we deny that God loves equally other people, other races and other nations.
This is not to deny that God loves me and that Jesus died for me. But the verse tells us that God loves me in the context of His love for everyone else. This affirms our common humanity, that we are equal in the eyes of our loving Father. Thus Christianity tells us that the world is one under God.
Every nation, therefore, should be able to see itself as one nation under God. But the ultimate cause for which God gave His only begotten son is not any particular nation over against other particular nations, but for the world, Hence, we are--or should be--one world under God. And one nation under God can only proclaim itself truthfully as "under God" if it is existing for the sake of one world under God.
The United States traces its spiritual roots back to the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay. Why? Why do we not acclaim the Spaniards who came to Florida, the French who came to New Orleans, the Russians who came to Alaska, or the Cavaliers who came to Virginia? The reason has to do with, as George Bush so eloquently put it, "the vision thing." The Puritans were possessed of a godly vision. This drove them here not to establish a nation. They came here, in their own words, to be a light unto the world. They came for the sake of the world.
They came, in other words, to establish a true Christian society. John Winthrop called their project to establish "a model of Christian charity." Back then, "charity" meant "love," as in Paul’s 1 Corinthians 13, in which "faith, hope and charity" is now translated, "faith, hope and love." They came, in others words, to create a society founded upon Christian love. And the word, "model" is important. To be a model means that you intend to establish a standard which others can follow, from which others can benefit. Your sacrifice, therefore, is for the sake of others.
New England Spirit
The Puritans meant to create a model for England, Europe, all of Christendom and the entire world, of how a true Christian society should operate. That is, they did not come for their own sakes, but for the sake of the world.
And what they expected was nothing less than the Kingdom of God to arrive in England. Those were heady days. But the dream derailed with Cromwell's military dictatorship, and disappeared with the restoration of the king. At that moment, the Puritans turned to God and in prayer concluded that perhaps God's plan all along was not for them to be a model for the world. Rather, His plan was that they build His kingdom in America.
This is bittersweet. On the one hand, it was a golden moment in the development of this nation. But on the other hand, it was a narrowing of vision. America no longer existed by definition for the sake of the world. The scale of the dream shrank as a competing claim arose, that of a new nation. Americans now existed for the sake of God’s kingdom in America, not God’s kingdom in the world. The era to establish a model for the world turned into an era for the sake of God's work within our own borders. It was then that troubles began: fires, disease, wars with the Indians, doctrinal division, political factionalism. The Puritan divines referred to it as "God's controversy with New England." They anguished to discover its cause.
And so throughout our history we have had the tension between concern for the world and concern for ourselves. To put it into very broad strokes, this has expressed itself as expansionism and isolationism. For most of our history, the American attitude has been: "let us alone." But our inclusive spirit nonetheless expressed itself in our fundamental nation-building institutions. We established into law the means by which literal foreign states could be incorporated into the Union. In the process, these states surrendered a portion of their sovereignty. The states to which I refer begin with New Hampshire, Virginia, South Carolina, the original thirteen colonies. And this growth continued all the way to the statehood of Alaska and Hawaii.
And then at crucial moments, most importantly in the twentieth century wars against the central powers, the axis powers, and communism, America sacrificed herself, her sons and daughters, for the world.
And in an ongoing way, America has served the world. She has opened her gates to the downtrodden of the world, offering asylum from oppression, and economic opportunity. She has been the silent witness that democratic institutions, supported by religion-based education, morality, and faith in God, are the best way for humankind.
UN: Good News, Bad News
Today we see this historical tension manifested in obvious ways. Our zeal for one world under God, our intention to serve as a light for the world, took the form of the United Nations. But today the UN is rather controversial. The liberal left tends to support it, and the conservative right tends to oppose it. The opposition believes that the UN is anti-democratic and anti-Christian. They believe that the UN represents a major socialistic attempting to undermine the sovereignty of nations. To them, the UN threatens the power of nations to determine their own policies and destiny.
I read that a forthcoming book by evangelical leader Tim LaHaye offers the treatise that the Secretary General of the UN is the anti-Christ and his assistant is the Pope. Indeed, if the UN robs the nation of its ownership, it is the same as the nation robbing the citizen of ownership. Communism took us down that miserable road of ruin. The robbery of ownership is tyranny.
On the other hand, the UN represents the wonderful ideal of world peace. The left believes that the way to achieve this is through professional global management by well-chosen experts. Who can disagree?
The root question is the role played by God. The American founders agreed that if a sparrow cannot fall to the earth without God’s involvement, how can a nation arise without God’s involvement? To what extent is God involved in the UN? Where is God’s sovereignty? Through what religion does He speak? When it comes down to it, how deep is our faith in God's control of human affairs in general? What about our own lives? To what extent to we allow God authority over our lives?
God and My Marriage
One good place to examine this question of "God’s authority over my life" is right in the marriage bed. Simply put, where does my human scale of love end, and where does God’s divine love begin? Or, it may be better put, how can my human scale of love create a base for God’s love to enter? I gained a very helpful insight upon this from an unexpected source, a book by a young couple that details their conversion from Protestant to Catholic faith.
Scott and Kimberly Hahn are the co-authors of Home Sweet Rome: Our Journey to Catholicism (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1993). The Hahns were a young Protestant couple, very active in their church. In his early years as a Christian, Scott tells us, he went out of his way to attack the Catholicism, the whore of Babylon. Then, in Kimberly's Christian ethics class at an evangelical seminary, the topic of birth control came up. She chose to research the Catholic position on the issue.
Expecting to find dogmatism and oppression, she was surprised to discover a persuasive, God-centered argument against birth control. And folks, it has persuaded me as well. In the interests of ecumenism, I share it. But more importantly, in the interests of true love between husband and wife, I share it.
First I would mention that one Sunday morning, during his Sunday sermon, Reverend Moon looked at me and asked me if I use birth control. What he literally said was, "when you love your wife, do you use control?" Now, that was a difficult question, because I usually lack control once the love-making sets in.
Then the interpreter clarified that his question was, "do you use birth control?" I answered, "No, of course not," but I said that with a mental reservation. I did use a form of birth control, the "rhythm method." That is, I try to time relationships according to the fertile or infertile times of the month. But that, I realized after reading the Hahns, is not ideal, and here is where I was illuminated by them.
First, they explain that marriage is not a contract but a covenant. A contract is an exchange of goods and services, while a covenant involves "an exhange of persons." In marriage, I am giving myself, my whole being, and I am receiving my wife’s personhood, her entire being. The Hahn’s learned that every covenant has an act whereby it is enacted and renewed, and the marital act, the act of love, is the covenant act in marriage. "When the marriage covenant is renewed, God uses it to give new life. To renew the marital covenant and use birth control to destroy the potential for new life is tantamount to receiving the Eucharist and spitting it on the ground." That is to say, the creative power of God is purposely destroyed.
"All the other covenants," they continue, "show God’s love and transmit God’s love, but it is only in the marital covenant that the love is so real and powerful that it communicates life. … So when ‘the two become one’ in the covenant of marriage, the ‘one’ they become is so real that nine months later they might have to give it a name! The child embodies their covenant oneness.
"I began to see that every time Kimberly and I performed the marital act we were doing something sacred. And every time we thwarted the life-giving power of love through contraception, we were doing something profane.
"Scott and I," writes Kimberly, "were already committed to each other and to the Lord. The question was, Could God be trusted to plan the size of our family? The spacing of children? Would he know what we could handle financially, emotionally and spiritually? Did he have the resources to enable us to handle more children than we thought we could?
"At root I knew what I was wrestling with-the very sovereignty of God."
To this, I would add a further reflection. If I believe that God is the source of love, including the love I feel for my wife, then should I not allow God to be the initiator of the relationship? I realized that I was counting the days, deciding from my human perspective when I could love or not love my wife. This truly was an artificial approach, I realized. It prevented the spirit from moving. And I recalled many occasions that had revealed to me that my wife was not "keeping track." So I decided to let God be God and let love be love. Mentally and spiritually, it has made a big difference.
So, the question of God’s sovereignty applies not just to nations and the world. It begins with His sovereignty over my marriage and family.
The Grandmother (Se Hyun Oak)
by Sandra Lowen
"Grandmother Oak," as Mrs. Se Hyun Oak is known, met Father in Pyungyang, and became one of his very first followers. She served Father for the rest of her life.
Mrs. Oak met Father on November 11, 1946-before he went South to Pusan, before he went to Hung Nam prison. She had been a very religious woman. She and her husband held important positions in their church. Her eldest son had gone to fight in World War II, and she prayed for him every day. Even after the war, she continued her daily prayers.
One day, she received a revelation that she should meet a certain special man and that she should go to the mountains to pray for more direction. Mrs. Oak was a good Korean housewife. There was washing, cooking, cleaning, mending, shopping-so much to do.
"After I get these things done," she vowed, "then I will go." But the jobs never came to an end. Day after day, she put off going to the mountains.
Then, one day she knew she could wait no longer. She just left her work and went. She prayed a long time on a mountain, and the spiritual world soon told her where to meet this certain special man.
She followed the directions given her, and she found the little room in Pyungyang where he stayed. He welcomed her, served her tea, and immediately began teaching her things about the Bible. His message was so powerful that she knew in her heart she wanted to work with him. He became her Son sengnim (Honorable Teacher). It was, of course, True Father.
She still had her work at home, however; so the only way she could spend time with him was to sneak away. Then, when she was with him, she would forget about time, and the hours flew by. Even days went by sometimes. When she returned to her family, they would be very angry.
At first, she wouldn’t tell them where she had been, but when they later found out about Father, they told her she shouldn’t go back. They thought she should be content with her own church and her household chores. Therefore, she was not able to visit Father for long periods of time. But she missed him terribly.
Father missed her, too. He worried about her and longed to talk with her. Once, he resolved to go to her house, to see if he could catch even a glimpse of her. He stood outside her house and watched the balcony where she hung out the family wash. He knew that she was a good housewife, and would have to do the laundry soon. Although the day was passing, he was so hopeful of seeing her that he waited and waited.
Finally, she came out, not knowing Father was there. He saw only her back; still this was enough for Father to know that she was all right, and so he returned home.
A few days later, Mrs. Oak was preparing food for her family. As she reached out to place wood on the fire, she heard a spiritual voice say, "Why are you here? Your Messiah and Lord is suffering. Do you think I called you just to make rice for your family?"
At that moment, her hand began to shake. She couldn’t stop. When her family found her shaking, they became frightened. What was the matter with her? They tried to help her, but nothing worked.
Then, she told them, "I heard God’s voice telling me to go to Moon Son sengnim and help him with his work. And then I started shaking."
Her family was very upset. They still didn’t like this Mr. Moon. But what could they do? She couldn’t just be left there in the middle of the floor, shaking. They held a family meeting.
"She must not be allowed to go with this Mr. Moon!"
"Yes, but if she doesn’t, she could die here!"
"Don’t be silly! I never heard of anyone dying from shaking!"
"Me either. But this is a spiritual thing. She isn’t just sick."
"You’re right. Who knows what could happen?"
"I say we send her to Mr. Moon."
Finally the decision was made to let her go. Immediately, Mrs. Oak stopped shaking and ran off to get ready. She was going to be with her Master at last!
Times were not always so happy for the little group in Pyungyang. In 1948, Father was cruelly betrayed. Many spiritual people came to Father, especially women who had received information from spirit world.
One day, a lady came who said, "I am a very spiritual person, and my mother is, too. We were told spiritually to come here. Will someone please tell us all about this group?"
The members told her many things. The next morning, very early, the communist police arrived. That lady was a spy, who had gone straight to the authorities and told them terrible untrue things about Father.
When Grandmother Oak came early the next morning, she found Father, Won Pil Kim and two ladies being taken away. Then Mrs. Oak was also placed under arrest and questioned; but her family hired a lawyer and paid for her release.
When Father was sent to Hung Nam prison, Mrs. Oak traveled the long distance several times to visit him. He was there so long, almost all his followers in Pyungyang lost faith in him. They thought he would never return. Yet, whenever Father asked Mrs. Oak, "How is everyone?" she would always answer, "They’re fine." She couldn’t bear to give him bad news, especially when she saw how he was suffering.
He wore such miserable clothing, and became so thin! She always brought rice meal and clothing for him, even though she knew he just gave it away.
Sometimes, he would be moved to another location, and she couldn’t easily find him. Just before the Korean War began, she could receive no word of him at all for awhile. Sometimes, she and Won Pil Kim journeyed to the work sites, and he was nowhere to be found. They would ask the prisoners about him and they wouldn’t know where he was. Then the spiritual world would tell them that he was still alive.
Later-during the time Father, Won Pil Kim and Mr. Pak were making their long journey from Pyungyang to Pusan on foot-Grandmother Oak went to Pusan with her family. She lost touch with Father.
Grandmother Oak had been in Pusan a few months just working and caring for her family. She had no idea where Father was. Then one day a young man appeared at her door. It was Won Pil Kim.
"Son sengnim sent me to find you," he said simply. Those were the most welcome words she had ever heard. Her heart soared. He had been looking for her for quite awhile, and had learned where she lived from a Christian minister nearby.
"Tell me," she said excitedly, "what kind of clothes does he have on?"
"He’s wearing old green pants, a ragged jacket, and rubber shoes-the same things he always wears. Why?"
Mrs. Oak shook her head. "Those are the same clothes he wore in North Korea. First, I will make him a new set of clothes; then, I will visit him." And she did.
From that point on, she went to the mountain to be with Father as often as she could. She helped with his cooking and cleaning, so he could have more time for spiritual work.
Many times, she climbed the hill to the little shack. Later, when they set up a tent beside the shack so more people could gather to pray, she was often there. When there were people to take care of, she was there. When there was something urgent to pray for, she was there.
Father loved her so very much-his dear Oak Halmonie (grandmother).